


Run and Don't Cry [Yandere!Alois Trancy]

by Zuliet



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-04 05:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5323043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuliet/pseuds/Zuliet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel of "Hide and Don't Scream" (http://archiveofourown.org/works/3521396), that takes place a year later!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

_"I'll let you go - if you can escape my manor..."_

**Oh how you remembered those words...**

 

_"I've got you! You're mine now! After so many years of you slipping through our_

_fingers! I can finally have you!"_

****

**...the cheated promised that sealed your fate.**

 

_"One more game! Please! Chess! Best two out of three!"_

 

**Your final plea...**

 

_"Alright,[Name]. Best two out of three. Claude, my special chess set."_

****

**...before he shut you in the dark.**

 

_"You cheated!"_

_"You never said we couldn’t._ _It’s all part of the game, [Name]. You have to play dirty to get what you want."_

**The last thing he told you...**

 

_"Beg me to make love to you..."_

****

**...before he locked you in your prison...**

 

_"I-I-I...love...you."_

****

**...and made you his pet.**

 

 

 

 


	2. One: Toxin

You bolted up in your bed, a cold sweat soaking your back. Hearing someone groan next to you, you remembered that Alois had made you submit to him again that night. You had become used to this...this heinous routine.

**A year was a long time.**

 

_You couldn’t believe it._

   
               Claude brought you the paper every morning like you had requested. That was the only way you could tell what day it was, for your windowless, escapeless cell held no answers. Only a ticking clock and a newspaper helped you keep your sense of time.

 

“Now, now. Did someone have another nightmare?” Alois’ voice made you alert, and you felt as he sat up and wrapped his arms around you. You didn’t look at him, but meagrely nodded and Alois gave you a kiss on the cheek. “You seem to be having an awful lot of them lately, [Name].”

 

“I know,” you muttered glancing at him,  _and they’re all your fault_. “I’m sorry to have woken you.” Alois shook his head as he leaned his forehead against yours,

 

“It gives me a chance to comfort you,” he noted gently, pulling you back down to the bed with your head on his chest; he ran his fingers through your hair and then kissed it. Alois had been quite tame since you quit trying to escape. You had learned, eventually, to suck it up and to deal with your cell life. You had tried and tried to escape, but you had never gotten past the panel at the top of the stairs. You had even tried to  _kill_  Alois a few times, but nothing worked. The guards were on you in a matter of seconds and ripped you away – you hadn’t even made a scratch on him. “A girl so lovely as you shouldn’t be having such horrible dreams – I love you, [Name].”

 

You sighed, a mild twisting in your gut. “I love you too, Alois.”

 

You were finally able to say that without stuttering. You had practiced it up and down and now it was totally flawless. There was no hint of stutter in your words, or of sadness in your voice. It was the way Alois wanted it now – truthful sounding. But you knew it could never be; you could never love Alois. Ever. And you had tried to. You figured that if you were stuck in this cell for the rest of your life, then might as well try and find some good in your captor. You could never find any. All of the goodness you used to see in Alois had been burned out. He was hallow now. He had no soul. He had no heart. To you, he was a boy of Blackness. Of Darkness. And there was no light to be found any more. Not even a speck.

  
               Although you were convinced otherwise, you listened intently to the beating of Alois’ heart. It still pounded when he touched you, and you knew that he  _did_  have some love for you.  _Some_  feeling for you. However, the attention he gave was anything but what you craved. You craved something sweeter, something lighter. Someone who sent butterflies herding through your stomach. Any butterflies you had for Alois in the beginning were lost now. They were dead. Just stones that now created dread and weight in the pit of your stomach. You never thought you’d ever feel living butterflies again. For Alois was the only man to touch you. Alois, Claude, Thomas, Timber and Canterbury were the only males to ever see you; none of them gave off the feeling you craved. If anything, the butlers frightened you and some times more so than Alois did. Most times, though, they offered more comfort than their master. The triplets, who were your guards most of the time, would talk to you. You’d even read books to them because they seemed like they got bored.

  
               You did this with Claude on occasion, when he allowed you. He’d bring classics he hadn’t heard for a while, and, though your voice seemed like it grated in his ears most of the time, he let you read to him. Hannah, though, was your greatest companion in the manor. Being the maid assigned to you by Alois, she spent the most time with you. You two gossiped like school girls when the mood suited you. Or you’d read to her while she braided your hair, which had grown quit long in the past year. Sometimes you’d try to teach her chess, but it never seemed like she understood it or that she wanted to. More often than not, when you got lonely, Hannah let you tell her stories of life before Alois. You told her stories of your parents, and of the friends you had, and of your adventures in America. She always seemed to enjoy them; unfortunately, she always got called away just when you were starting to feel like a person.  _That_  was something else you had discovered over the last year – you weren’t a person here. You were an object, a prize - a trophy that had been put on display. You didn’t have feelings, you didn’t need light or fresh air.

  
                Alois had stopped taking you outside when you kept trying to run away from him, despite your promises not to. He hoped, time and time again, that  _you_ had changed. That you had come to like Trancy manor, but you hadn’t and so you were kept tucked away. A secret only the household knew about. You knew Alois would always love you, though, and you knew he’d never stop trying to get you love him. Deep in your heart, you knew you  _couldn’t_  love him and that you  _wouldn’t_  and you  _refused_  to. You knew that  _that_ was the reason you couldn’t find any light to love in Alois - you simply refused to see it. You didn’t want to. You couldn’t. You just...couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

  
               You often found yourself wondering if anybody was out there looking for you. You wondered if your father was still alive, if your friends were bothering to look for you. You wondered if Esme, the friend who was abroad in America, had phoned to tell you father that you should be home. You told her that you’d phone or write when you got back to England, and you always stuck to promises like that. Maybe she could tell that something had happened since you hadn’t done that. You could only hope.

  
               You drew circles around Alois’ pale chest with your finger. You could tell by his breathing that he was fast asleep; you tended to be a teddy bear to him. If  _he_ was the one having nightmares, he’d usually make his way down to your cell to cuddle. Occasionally he’d have Claude bring your sleeping form up, and you’d wake in the morning with Alois clutching your body like you were his only life line.  It was at times like this, when it was just you two in a dimly lit room, when his features were outlined and calm and his breathing was even, that you enjoyed looking at Alois. He seemed so sweet and soft while he was sleeping; those intense irises covered by pale eye lids and his thin lips slightly parted in a drowsy way. His chest rose and fell in a steady pattern, and, just for a moment, he looked like a child; sweet and innocent, not sadistic and twisted. Just for a moment you allowed for all of the bad to escape from him. You allowed him pass. You allowed him innocence. Just for a few hours, if only a few minutes, you allowed Alois your pure love. But it was always ruined when you glanced around and reminded yourself of the place you were in, and why you were there. It was always then that you started to hate Alois again, and you hated that he made you feel like this; so much push and pull - so much hatred, so little love, when you found that it was all he ever needed.  


**_He needed love._ **

 

And if he wasn’t going to be  _given_  it freely...well...then he was just going to  _take_  it.

 

You knew this better than anyone; better than Claude, better than Hannah, better than any number of people.

_And you did love Alois._

  
**Once.**

_Long ago._

  
But you knew now that you never would again.

   
  
               When there was a ball going on up in the manor, you liked to listen. You listened to the music and remembered all of the dances you had been to. You liked danced to the music, turning and twirling with an invisible partner around your cell.  But you ultimately listened in hopes of hearing Alois flirting with another woman. In hopes of hearing him falling in love with someone who wasn’t you. You never got your hopes up, though. You were  _his_ , and this was undeniably clear. He even branded you. You now had the Trancy crest burned into the left side of your back, just under your rib cage. It wasn’t very large, no bigger than your hand, but it was big enough for anyone to tell that it was a family crest. It was enough to brand you as property. You didn’t have to marry Alois to be his property now. But, just as a safe guard, Alois announced the two of you officially engaged about six months ago. And though it wasn’t announced to other nobles or to the paper, it was known to you. To the household. Alois bought you a very expensive, very large diamond to show this, and the wedding was to be held before the year was out. The only relief you had was that it was only the end of January. But the wedding could still be held any day.  
               Even if you didn't hear Alois' flirting during the dances, you occasionally heard familiar voices and always secretly hoped that someone would find you. That some way, somehow, somebody would open up that panel at the top of the stair case and follow it down to find you. But you’ve had no such luck so far. No square of light illuminating the wall and stretching down the staircase, no footsteps on the cold stone steps or echoing off the walls. Nothing. Nobody knew you were down there. You understood, now, how the previous master of the Trancy household had managed to keep all the boys down in the cell where you now resided. Even then –  


_You only knew because Alois talked in his sleep._

   
               You hadn’t realized until then that you were holding your breath and so you released it, breathing in time with Alois. This you were used to. The calm after the storm of your nightmares – the ones mixed with blood stains, and Alois’ face and maniacal laughter. You didn’t know why, after a year with the beast, you just started to have nightmares. But they came. And they were vicious. And they made you sweat and cry. On the nights Alois came to your cell, they were the worst. Especially if it was another night where he’d charge down the stairs, rip open the door to your cage and then slam you roughly against the wall, his mouth a bruising force against yours and his hands groping at you like they were trying to grasp reality. Most days it was just that something had upset him, and the only way he knew to express it was to be rough with you. Only later, during your two's drowsy pillow talk, would he cuddle you and admit what the matter really was. No matter what extreme emotion Alois held, it was you he unleashed it on. Anything to make himself feel better – and you were always the perfect remedy to him; a tonic, a cleanser, an addicting toxin. He had said more than once that you were addicting. Every time, you tried to ignore that fact. And sometimes, the only way to get through the night was allowing yourself to think that you were a drug to him. To think to yourself that he had a problem. You didn’t like to think that he was just obsessed with you and unreasonably convinced that you were the answer to everything. But, even if you didn’t like it, you got Alois to calm down. Sometimes, that was all he needed.  _You_ were all he needed.

  
               You relaxed against Alois, your nightmares somewhere far away and forgotten; upstairs a clock chimed an undecipherable time. You sighed, allowing your eyes to drift shut. You had to ground yourself at times, just take in reality; here was a guy who was irrevocably in love with you, but you hated. You were a captive in a cell that, while piled with books, left a lot to be desired. You were branded with the family crest of a mad man. And you hadn’t seen anyone but the master, and the workers, of the house in a year. Through all of that, though, you still liked to imagine that you and Alois had gotten married long before, when you could actually be in love with him. You occasionally took it upon yourself to try and make the best out of  this terrible situation. So you imagined at you actually fell in love with Alois and that you were in your room at your family’s manor, lying bare side-by-side like you were in your cell. You imagined being able to look out your windows at the gardens, and having Alois gently caress your exposed shoulders and back to coax you to bed once more.  


You imagined a  _loving_  Alois.

 

You imagined being  _in love_ with Alois

 

You imagined being far away from your cell.

 

You just imagined being free, and being in love. 

   
Sometimes, Alois’ face would morph into those of other young men who had come to try and be your suitor but your father hadn’t found quite right.  
   
And –

Sometimes,

 

It stayed as Alois. 

 

 ~


	3. Two: Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Just a note, this will be switching back a forth. But it will not be unbearably so.]

The clock ticked relentlessly.

**_Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock._ **

Had his office always been so _unbearably_ _quiet_? Or his paperwork so _incredibly_ _dull_? 

Had this always been the normal routine of his life? Its natural rhythm?

He currently regretted having that wall clock put in.

“To keep the endless time I’ll live.” He muttered the words he had said when he requested the clock to be hung. “Damn if I don’t have it removed immediately. It’s only been a day, and it’s already driving me mad.”

His turned his glaring eyes from the clock on the wall to the papers on his desk. Paper work, party invitations and a letter from the Queen lay scattered across its surface. A knock came from the door of the study. Just by the knock, he could tell it was his butler.

  
             "Come in." His servant obeyed, creaking the door open and rolling in a silver cart with cake and tea, a silver platter in his free hand.

  
             "This came for you today, my lord." The master took the envelope from the plate. _Earl Ciel Phantomhive_ was scrawled in neat cursive on the back of the envelope.  There was no return address, nor was the earl's address displayed beneath his name. "I found it had been slipped under the main doors this morning."

  
              "Ah, yes. Well that does explain why there is no address on this envelope. Have you any idea who sent this, Sebastian?" implored the young Lord, but the crimson eyed servant shook his head.

  
               "I'm afraid I do not, young master. Perhaps they've signed their name in the letter." Lord Phantomhive grunted and reached for his letter opener. As he slid the opener beneath the seal, his butler explained the morning’s cake and tea choices.  Placing brunch on the desk out of the way, Sebastian waited quietly while his master scanned the paper. Ciel smirked as he finished reading the letter.

 

“My, well this is interesting,” noted the twenty-year-old, placing his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaning his cheek against his hand.

“What does the letter say, my lord?” Sebastian inquired, politely standing over the earl’s shoulder.

“It’s from the Marquis [L/N], it appears as though his daughter has been missing for a year. Nobody knows her whereabouts. The last that was seen of her was when her friend in America saw her off on a ship heading back towards England. Lord [L/N] said his daughter had been very frantic and constantly running away from somebody who appeared to be stalking her these last few years. He suspects that her stalker has finally caught her. He wants us to find her and protect her until her captor is put in jail.”

“And I suspect the letter does not say from whom she was running.”

The earl shook his head in a troubled way, “No, it does not. The only thing her father remembers is that it was a blonde haired male, who was noble here in England. But there are plenty of those to go around. Sebastian, do some farther research into the house of [L/N]. Maybe we can create a connection and cross reference who she has come into contact with, with anyone who matches the description.”

“Very well. And, master, may I remind you that the Queen has also requested your – _assistance_ – in a matter.” Ciel’s eyes slid over to the envelope in question that held the Queen’s request.

“How could I forget?” asked the earl snidely. “Her Majesty’s orders always come first.”

Picking up the envelope, Ciel removed the letter to read it once more. It appeared as though a ring had been stolen from her Majesty’s royal jewels. It was made of silver and diamonds, and the Queen was very clear that the ring was to be found and returned as soon as possible.  She also stated that there was a nearly identical ring in a London museum that she had Scotland Yard put guards on. It appeared as though the Queen was convinced that the thief of the royal jewel would also go after its twin in the museum.  Ciel exchanged looks with Sebastian.

“I will get your coat, master,” stated Sebastian, getting the hint, and disappearing out the door. When Ciel was sure that Sebastian was gone, he looked over Marquis [L/N] request.

“A blonde, male noble – could it be?” wondered Ciel out loud. “No, that’s preposterous.”

Still, the thought gnawed at the back of the earl’s mind. Shaking his head, Ciel met Sebastian in the foyer, put on his coat and drove off in the carriage. Ciel stared out the carriage window as they went, his eyebrows furrowed. Questions swirled around in his mind; How did the thief get into the jewel room? And what about the ring? Why would someone steal _that_ one first, rather than its twin?

There were so many answers, and Ciel didn’t have answers to any of them. It bothered him to no end. He didn’t like being so far behind everything.

“Is something the matter, my lord?” asked Sebastian, noticing his master’s mood.

“It’s nothing...now this ring at the museum...” started Ciel dismissively as he trailed off. “It bothers me.”

“And why is that?” Now Sebastian was just amused. Being Ciel’s butler for a while now, he knew when other things were bothering his master and it always amused him when the young lord made believe it was something else.

“I believe I’ve heard tale it before. The ring in the museum is called ‘Master Black.’ It is one half of a set. The other half, the one stolen from the royal palace, was named ‘Lady White.’ They’re usually referred to as ‘Les jumeaux de Destruction,’ or ‘The Twins of Destruction.’ They say that, when they’re together, they bring chaos. Left on its own, Lady White is harmless. However, Master Black is said to possess those who wear him with dark power and, not only cause devastation where he is, but also seek out his twin so they may unite their powers. I’ve only ever heard it in legend, but, if it is true, it perplexes me why the thief would go after the useless one first. Perhaps to throw off the trail...Hm...” Ciel went quiet again then. Still so many unanswered questions, and he felt like he was running out of time. He’d only just started the Ring Case, but he felt the time pushing on him like a weight. He found it quite ironic how, now that he had all of the time in the world, he found himself running short of it.

 

 

~


	4. Three: Memories

 

The only thing to alert you to the morning was the metallic clicking of the hidden panel and the patient footsteps of Claude as he descended the stairs, paper and breakfast in hand.

“Good morning, Claude,” you greeted weakly as you sat up, situating the blanket around your bare body.

Claude grunted at you. “Likewise. Hannah will be down in a moment to feed you.” He passed you off the paper, and then set up a stand for your breakfast tray.

“Alois won’t be down this morning?” you asked, skimming over the front page. _Queen announces new building project in central London. The Viscount Druitt’s annual charity ball. Lady White has been stolen. Big Ben’s chimes have been fixed. The Ice Festival is – wait..._ You skimmed again and again over the news of Lady White. You’d heard the legend since you were a child, and the thought of the Twins falling into the wrong hands frightened you to no end.

“No, his majesty has business matters to attend to today.” You nodded, your eyes flicking between Claude and the newspaper article.

“Oh, okay,” you said absently, staring back at the paper. “Claude, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the Lady White incident, would you?” Without hesitation, the butler stated that he had not, and a second later Hannah appeared behind him.

“I’m here to relieve you, Claude,” stated the woman gently. The butler said nothing as he turned on his heel with one last glance at you, and made his way up the stairs. You breathed out a sigh when you heard the panel click shut, and placed the paper beside you.

“I still can’t get used to that man,” you mumbled, running a hand through your knotty hair. Hannah chuckled as she sat beside you,

“He’s not so bad.” You smirked at her and rolled your eyes before she began to feed you.

 

 

“One day,” you started, swallowing your mouthful. “Alois will let me eat by myself again. I feel so ridiculous having you do this for me everyday.” Hannah sighed, holding the last grape to your lips.

“The master means well, I think. You know how he is.” You stifled another sigh and took the grape from Hannah’s fingers; chewing slowly, you nodded.

Yes, you knew how Alois was.

And how _unfortunate_ it was that you did.

            “Yes, yes – I know,” you sighed, and then an icy shiver shot down your spine. It was positively freezing down in your cell. It’d been alright the day before, well, tolerable at least.

            Hannah noted your shiver, and stood from the bed, a hand offered out to you. “We best get you into the bath now, it’ll help you warm up.”

            Taking her warm hand in your chilled fingers, you stood and gratefully slipped into the robe Hannah had brought you. Outside of the cell, one of the triplets waited to unlock the door, which he did when Hannah nodded to him. You shivered again as you stepped off of the carpet, the stone of the floor was freezing!  It got warmer as you and Hannah ascended the stair case, though the stone stairs were ice on your bare feet. As you exited the secret passage, you noticed a fire going in low foyer hearth. Then again it was January, too bad it didn't do much against the cold in the basement.

You glanced around the main house like you usually did, taking in all of the colour that escaped you down in your block walled prison. The reds and golds were always so lush, it surprised you most times. Even if you did get a bath every day, per Alois' order (although you would've requested it yourself), the basement liked to dull your senses. With a sigh, you reluctantly followed Hannah to the bathroom. There, a claw foot tub was already filled with steaming hot water.

You dropped your robe, a chill spiking through you, but didn't climb in the tub. You could feel Hannah's curious eyes on your back as you wandered to the heavily curtained window. Gently, you put your head through the split in the curtains and stared out the fogging window. White glistened out on the lawn and garden, freshly fallen. You gasped, sucking icy air through your teeth. It was gorgeous, you'd always loved the snow though you hated the cold. Another chill ran through you as the frigid air seep through the fabric. Stepping back, you allowed the curtain to close and made your way to the tub.

You groaned in delight as your chilled feet met with the tub's water. It was amazing, you hadn't even realized how cold you were. Goosebumps raised on your arms as you slowly settled the rest of your body into the warmth. You shivered once, sinking lower and closing your eyes while leaning your head back to wet your hair. Smiling, you sighed; you loved bath time. Hannah chuckled, and you could only imagine the head shake she gave you.

 "What were you looking at, miss?" she asked softly. Opening one eye, you peered up at her.

"I was looking at the snow," you stated simply. Hannah nodded, and then shifted you up in the water.

Hannah washed your hair first, massaging soap through it until it lathered and then rinsed it. After she let you washed your body, knowing it made you uncomfortable if she did. When it came time to do your back, you leaned with your arms folded on the side of the tub. Content, you closed your eyes and concentrated on the small circles she was scrubbing. Inwardly, you groaned when you heard the door creak open. Opening one eye, you studied the perpetrator; it was Alois, blonde hair in his usual style and a smile on his lips that reached his cerulean eyes.

"Good morning, love," he spoke softly, leaning down to kiss your forehead. Forcing a smile, you leaned up and kissed his mouth chastely as he pulled away. You saw his eyes quickly skim your body in the water before landing on the maid. "Hannah, when you're finished here, I require your assistance in a matter."

"Very well, your highness," she spoke evenly, keeping her eyes low and away from her master’s. As Alois turned to leave you called out to him. Surprised, he turned to face you once more.

"Yes, dear?" he asked lovingly.

"Alois, darling, might it be alright to have some new books?" you asked, sending up pleading eyes. "I've read all that I have three times over, I'm getting quite bored them."

Blinking away his surprise, Alois replied coolly. "Of course, darling. Would...you like to come up to the library to choose your books?"

"Yes!" you cheered, beaming up at him. "I would love that, thank you very much!"

"You are very welcome, you've been very good. So it is the least you deserve," he stated, kissing you again. You chuckled against his lips.

"And what is the most I deserve?" you inquired, raising an eyebrow. Alois smirked, and kissed you again before straightening.

"We'll talk later," he said mysteriously before exiting the bathroom. Hannah signed when she was sure Alois was out of ear shot.

"[Name], what are you up to? You go from trying to murder the master, to bending to his every whim," she stated warily, an eyebrow raised at you.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, Hannah, I'm offended!" I gasped dramatically. The maid stared at you evenly, awaiting your answer. Sighing, you leaned your chin back on your arms and looked away from her towards the door. "I'm tired, Hannah. I'm tired of living in constant fear of Alois. I’m tired of that dratted, icy cell. And I’m so very tired of being lonely. If I am forced to remain here for the rest of my life, then I want him to trust again. Plus – it’s snowing, Hannah! I love the snow, I haven't been outside in months – although, that is my own fault – I’ve given up on trying make myself happy. I’m only playing along for Alois’ happiness now. It makes me feel like we’re young again."

“Ma’lady,” sighed Hannah concernedly, but you ignored her and so she set back to washing you.

Your mind, however, was occupied with the night you decided to be good; the night you came up with your plan. It was about four months ago, Alois had forbade you from going outside two months before that night. He’d gone down that evening, a light air around him. It was…strange, to say the least. But Alois had been good that night, calmly entering your cell and requesting you to read a book to him. It was one you’d never heard of before, but it _had_ just been published. Alois was actually excited about it, and you were fairly curious, so you agreed. The two of you relined on the loveseat, Alois with his ear pressed against your chest.  As you read aloud, you gained a mild sense of nostalgia. Then a memory flitted through your mind of many years ago, when the two of you had just barely met. It was a time when you were falling in love with Alois.

You and Alois had just had lunch on the river and were now in the garden of your manor. You were under an apple tree that was just starting to get its white flowers, below you a lavender coloured picnic blanket. It was warm that day, the sun bright and the sky crystal clear; it was gorgeous. Like that night, Alois brought with him a book. It was a romance; he was just starting to fall in love with you too. He shyly asked if you could read it to him, because he loved your voice. You agreed just as coyly. About half way through chapter two, Alois fell asleep! Of course, you were only alerted to this by his head falling into your lap. You were startled, but allowed him to rest on you. You couldn’t help but smile down at him, running your fingers through his hair. It was a different world around Alois. The butterflies you felt in your stomach swelled so largely, you thought you might burst! But those months of gentle courtship were short lived.

When the memory of the garden faded, you looked down at Alois. He’d fallen asleep! Your eyebrows furrowed as you stared at him. Placing the book aside with a sigh, you took to running your fingers through his hair. He was still beautiful, he was always beautiful. But who he became…that was the ugly part. Leaning your head back, you allowed for the current scene to melt into your memory. It was almost like you were there again, in the garden with the apple tree. Minutes later, Alois’ stirring brought you out of your stupor.

“[Name]…” he muttered sleepily.

“Yes, Alois?” you asked, but he didn’t reply. Instead the arms around your waist tightened, looking at him, you found he was still asleep with a pain expression etched into his face.

“[Name],” he muttered again. “Y-You, you can’t take her…she’s mine…”

You realized Alois must have fallen asleep at the part where the kidnappers took the princess. You pressed your lips to his hair, trying to soothe him. It didn’t seem to help much. Instead, you listened to his muttering.

“…I love her...!” Alois insisted, there was so much force behind his words, so much emotion. Just for a second, your heart skipped when you heard this. Alois kept muttering about how much he loved you, how much he would sacrifice. Suddenly, your actions over the course of the year all seemed so unfair. He was wholly and entirely in love with you and dedicated to you, and it felt terrible because you could have loved him like that too.

But only once upon a time.

When he became…crazed, obsessive – that’s when you stopped loving Alois. That’s when you started to run away from him. You couldn’t love him like that, not after all he’d done to you. You couldn’t love him like he wanted you to, and it hurt so much.

“I’m sorry, Alois,” you whispered into his hair, your voice barely met your own ears. That’s when you decided that, even though it was going to be hard for you, you were going to make the best of what you had. Your main goal was to finally go to a ball, Alois was having a masquerade ball in about five months’ time. Your goal was to finally have gained his trust enough to accompany him to it.

From then on, you sucked up to Alois anyway you could. You smiled more and talked more, read more and sang more. Alois was wary at first but as it became the norm for you, as you became comfortable with treating him the way you had before it all, he smoothed into the rhythm. He made his own adjustments, which included visiting you more and giving you presents (when he was sure you wouldn’t destroy them). He was gentler with you, and softly seduced you into love making more rather than being rough and forceful.

Things turned around.

In a way, it was nice. But still a little disconcerting, especially the morning after that. You couldn’t be sure whether or not it was a dream. But the book was on the sofa, and Alois was resting peacefully in his night clothes beside you.

 

Sighing, you turned to Hannah who was starting to rinse you off. She tossed you a wary glance, holding your eyes.

Drawing your eyebrows together, you asked, “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

Hannah was silent a moment, but then softly asked, “Does it feel like the right thing?”

This question cut through your train of thought. You remained silent as you dried and dressed. As you and Hannah were about to exit the bathroom, you finally nodded. “I think…I think it is right. To some extent. I suppose the way he is is partially my fault. Had I accepted him sooner, stood up to father – maybe things would be different now. Do I owe that to him…? I suppose it’s as good an apology as any.”

It felt right.

But it felt wrong, too.

Did you really owe anything to Alois? Or were you actually just making the best of a horrible situation?

 

~


	5. Four: Thief

When Ciel's carriage arrived at the museum, the place was flocked with people. The Yard's finest guards and detectives, as well as curious onlookers and journalists, he presumed. Ciel knew that Lord Randall would be furious, as usual, at his appearance on the case. It was always fun to annoy Randall with his presence, besides – it wasn't like either of them could go against the Queen's orders. That's precisely what Ciel told the Lord too, when the earl descended from his carriage to be greeted with a furious commissioner. The red faced man could do nothing but give Ciel the answers to his questions then.

"Hmm, very interesting," muttered Ciel after his briefing. "Nobody in or out without passing by guards...and yet, the months old crime was only recently discovered."

Ciel's eyes flicked briefly to Sebastian, the demon expressing the same concern, before settling back on the chief. 

"I still find it strange that the thief would go after the royal jewel first," noted Lord Randall as he led the pair inside. "Not only is it the most heavily guarded but – well, Phantomhive, you've heard the legend."

"I have. It has me wondering as well, but perhaps it is to put your detectives off the scent. That's where the Dog steps in."

Ciel smirked slightly at the visible flinch and flustered face given by Lord Randall. The navy haired man then turned to view the display case holding Master Black, studying the onyx and amethyst ring. Although no human could feel its dark presence, Ciel most definitely could now that he was a demon. He could feel the aura radiating off of it; so the legend was true after all. _Just great._ He could even see the purple-black mist enveloping the jewellery. After another knowing glance over his shoulder to Sebastian, Ciel turned to look at the room the jewel was currently in.

It had high vaulted ceilings, marble pillars keeping arches in their place. The floor and walls were pure white, red rugs and multi-coloured ancient tapestries breaking the monochrome. From where he was, Ciel could see four entry ways and a staff only door; however, the earl could also see the countless ways of a demon entering and obtaining the ring. Even with all of the guards, it would require little effort. Meaning that taking Lady White from the royal jewel chamber would be no problem. Of course, Ciel could also see ways of a very cautious human getting away undetected. But they would have to be very precise about their efforts. After another moment, Ciel headed towards the main exit way.

“Where are you going, Phantomhive?” spat chief from behind him.

Without stopping, Ciel looked over his shoulder to reply coolly, “I’m going to do some more research. I’m sure your team is equipped enough to handle guarding a little thing like that.”

Sebastian gave a little bow to the inspector, swiftly following after his graceful, willowy master, when the loud sound of shattering glass echoed through the museum. Shouting came from main entry room, muffled cries of _“stop him!”_  which quickly faded out. Ciel watched warily as the double oak doors were opened, and a small round ball thrown into the room.

As the ball collided with the floor, a purple haze filled the space. Immediately, the occupants of the room started to whine and choke, their eyes watering at the foreign substance. Ciel and Sebastian, though, were completely unaffected. Had he been human, Ciel would have been unable to see through the thick fog. However, his sharp eyes watched as a man in all black ran into the room and headed straight for the ring case.

Sebastian was at the earl’s side in a moment, a silent inquiry of action passed between them. Ciel shook his head to it, and the pair watched curiously as the stranger broke the glass case, grabbed the ring, and ran out of the far door just in time for the purple smoke to begin to dissipate. It was then that Ciel gave Sebastian the nod, and the butler flitted off through the door the man in black had gone through. When the smoke had cleared, the policemen looked about themselves (most uttering curses). Lord Randall, face redder than usual, stormed over to the broken case.  

“Blast it!” he yelled, eyes frantic as he studied the case and turned to face his men. “I should have every one of you suspended – !”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” came Sebastian’s voice as he reappeared. “It seems that, even though our thief got away, he dropped his loot.”

Sebastian offered out his left hand, where Master Black was gently pinched between his thumb and forefinger.  Ciel smiled inwardly as he imagined what Sebastian had done to get that, while keeping the thief alive like he needed. Lord Randall, his mouth hung open, straightened and fixed himself. Opening his mouth to speak, the commissioner was cut off.

“Lord Randall, I believe I know how to catch your thief and retrieve Lady White for safe keeping; however, it will be necessary to bring this ring back to my estate,” stated Ciel.

“Absolutely not!” Randall scoffed, stomping dangerously close to Ciel. The earl narrowed his eyes but kept a cool head.

“Her Majesty wants _both_ rings found and safely kept away, before we find out first hand whether or not the stories are true. So you can, either, allow me to do this or go against her Majesty.”

Ciel and Lord Randall tensely glared at one another for a moment, but then the chief groaned out a sigh.

“Fine, Phantomhive, but it’s your fault if these things destroy half of London.”

“Thank you, Lord Randall,” said Ciel cheekily, “and don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Ciel nodded his goodbyes, and made his way back to his carriage. Sebastian was at his side shortly later.

“How nice it is that our thief decided to strike today, during the investigation,” noted Sebastian smugly once they were settled in the upholstered carriage cabin; Ciel nodded absently, knocking on the floor twice with his cane.

“Yes,” the earl agreed. “It simply speeds things up.”

“Presuming they go after Lady White _now,_ then yes it will.” Ciel slowly raised his head to look evenly at Sebastian.

“What do you mean?” the man inquired; Sebastian smirked slightly.

“I’m simply saying that, perhaps, the people who want both rings may wait until after all of this has died down to finally connect the two rings. Or, if they _don’t_ already have Lady White, to steal Master Black again before going after the Lady.”

Ciel pondered this for a moment. “If they do, I want you monitor them, Sebastian…Master Black can only lead you to Lady White, but not the other way around.”

“Do not worry, young master, I made sure to tell them exactly where they can find the ring again,” stated Sebastian, smirking smugly.

“So we wait then,” sighed the earl, turning back to carriage window.

“Yes,” agreed Sebastian quietly. “Now we wait.”

 

 

 

 ~


	6. Five: Promises

Hannah held the bathroom door as you stepped into the hall. You nodded a thank you, and then waited as she closed it behind you.

            “I’ll ask the master what he wishes to be done with you while we meet,” said the maid, leading you down the corridor. You followed silently behind her, a warm excitement bubbling in the pit of your stomach. Things were changing!

  _Finally._

Hannah made a left at the end of the hall and then stopped in front of a door to the right. When she knocked an ‘enter’ came from within.

“Your highness, you requested my presence,” she said formally. Alois’ eyes immediately skipped from Hannah to you.

“Yes, yes – hello, darling!” cheered the blonde. “Hannah, wait here with Claude and the triplets while I show [Name] to the library.”

This caught you by surprise, and it must have caught Hannah off guard too because she flinched. A sharp look from Alois’ cerulean eyes cut off her posing questions. As she stepped to the side, Alois came around his desk and up to you.

“Come, love, this way,” he said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Tugging lightly on your arm as he looped his through, you followed Alois into the hallway. You smiled up at him gratefully, moving closer to him and affectionately giving his arm a light squeeze. Alois placed his free hand on one of yours and returned the gesture.

“Thank you, Alois,” you said quietly. “I really appreciate this.”

“Of course – you may choose as many books as you wish, and they will be brought down stairs. I’ll leave you in the library on your own, but the door will be locked,” stated Alois in a light tone, but it quickly changed into a warning one. “And you should know, [Name], you’re punishment will be severe if you deceive me this time.  I will not stand for anymore deception.”

You went rigid, your hand tensing under his as your heart skipped a beat. You immediately relaxed, leaning your head against Alois’ shoulder. The smile you’d had a moment ago, though, was gone.

“It won’t happen again, Alois,” you promised quietly, staring blankly at the carpet in front of you.

“We’ll see,” was all Alois said to this. He lead you back down stairs, and to a large set of dark oak doors. “I’ll return to check on you in an hour. Be good, [Name].”

Alois kissed your forehead and then pushed you through the library doors. Behind you, you heard the clicking of the lock tumblers. You looked over your shoulder to stare at the wooden barrier. Your excitement was gone now, the threat weighing in your mind. You knew it shouldn’t have bothered you. You weren’t planning on going anywhere any time soon.

 

Still. That was, perhaps, the saddest part.  

 

Maybe that’s why you didn’t trust yourself to stick to your plan and keep your promise to Alois. The window, with its heavy curtains, actually seemed tempting. You could rip them down, heave open the window, and create a rope like you’d done with the blankets a year ago.

You shook your head, and headed over to a bookcase. You’d spent months building up his trust; you couldn’t do this to him, to yourself.

You made promises, and you were going to keep them – even if they killed you.

You skimmed the shelves, high and low; first and second story, up and down the ladders. You about jumped out of your skin when Alois came to check you the following hour. You’d been so immersed in your hunt, so hell bent on forgetting the urge to escape, that you’d completely forgotten that there was a world outside of the library.

“Are you satisfied with the book collection?” Alois had asked. You’d flinched, nearly falling off the ladder. You’d put on your biggest grin and your deepest blush, and told him that you greatly did.

Only later, when Alois left and you questioned your lingering blush, that it occurred to you that it had been another one of those times.

One of the times you’d forgotten your circumstances, when all felt right in the world – when a little piece of you deep in the pits of your heart fell in love with the fair haired man. But one look at the diamond ring on your finger, and the world crashed again.

_...Lady White’s been stolen..._

The morning’s headlines flashed through your mind again. It was preposterous to say the least – thinking that Alois would’ve sent his demon servants to steal the ring for you. You knew he loved you – and that your saying that his servants were demons wasn’t metaphorical, but a fact and that he himself had been changed – but stealing a piece of royal jewellery was inane!

Once you’d gotten all of the books you’d wanted, Alois had the triplets place them on your bookshelves. The rest of the night you spent reading about the adventures the new books held.

The damsel was always rescued in the end.

_So maybe,_ you thought, _there’s hope for me yet._

However, a tiny faint voice in the back of your mind whispered that maybe you’d already been saved.

~


	7. SIX - Surprise

 Ciel sat with his cheek rested against his hand, his eye glaring at the clock on the wall across from him. It’d been a week since the thief had attempted the heist from the museum. The fingers of his free hand tapped in time with the incessant second hand. He hadn’t counted on this at all.  
What was taking them so bloody long?  
  
        Sebastian had been tailing them all over but hadn’t reported back with any news of new plans. If this kept up much longer, he was going to have to take another route. A trip to Undertaker’s wasn’t exactly what he wanted but if he could provide an alternate option…  
  
_Crash!_  
  
        Somewhere in the manor, glass shattered – _window_ glass. Ciel could smell the intruders, heavily smothered in the stench of cigarettes and cheap whiskey. They were dirty and greasy, clearly unimportant underlings of an underground leader. However, there was something off about the scent; the thief from the museum hadn’t smelled like this. Though, it was easy to suppose he’d been disposed of for his incompetence and others sent in his place.  
  
        Ciel rose from his chair and exited his study; the man could hear his three idiotic human workers scrambling around.  
  
        “I believe our guest has finally arrived,” noted Sebastian appearing beside his master.  
  
        Ciel nodded, staring down the empty hallway. “So it seems. – You at least could have left a window open for them.”  
  
        “I hadn’t counted on their appearance today. I hadn’t heard anything of an ambush,” noted the butler.  
  
        “Perhaps they are other players in our game,” wondered Ciel aloud.  
  
        Sebastian glanced briefly at his master. “Shall I go after them?”  
  
        Ciel pondered this a moment, staring blankly down the hall before shaking his head. “No. It doesn’t matter who has what, so long as the pieces fall together properly.”  
  
        Sebastian made a sound of amusement before turning to his master. “This came for you today – I think you shall find it quite interesting.”  
  
        Ciel turned an inquisitive eye to his servant, before it flickered to the familiar silver tray which held a letter. As with every letter he received, his name was scrawled on the back of the envelop in impeccable cursive. His nose twitched as he took the envelop, its movement sending up fumes; roses and vanilla with a hint of something he couldn’t place. The scent tried to pull memories, but they were faint and dim human memories –  
  
        Seen and heard and felt through weak senses.  
  
        He thanked Sebastian, told him to take care of the mess, also to keep an eye on their new pawns, and then returned to his study. Ciel returned to his plush chair, staring at the writing on the back of the paper; he’d seen somewhere, he thought. His heart about stopped, his eyes widening as he flipped it over and saw the ever familiar spider crest of the Trancy family.  
  
        “So this is what Sebastian meant by ‘interesting,’” he muttered, running his letter opener under the wax seal. Ciel hesitated lifting the flap; what did that crazy man want? After all these years, why had Alois Trancy sent him a letter? After their spat resulted in both of them becoming demons, Ciel had seen neither hide nor hair of Alois Trancy.  
  
        So far as Ciel had known, Alois had left the country some years ago. He hadn’t heard of that insane male returning to England. Ciel couldn’t imagine that Alois’ intentions, whatever they were, were well off. He dreaded whatever was written on the paper.  
  
        But he couldn’t ignore it forever.  
  
        Ciel drew in a breath – perhaps he was being dramatic, but Alois was one of the very last people he’d ever want to hear from. Slowly, the earl removed the heavy stationary paper from the scented envelop. He eyed the parchment suspiciously, having not even unfolded it yet; with bated breath, Ciel opened it.  
The words that met his eye slightly surprised him.  
   
  


**_By order of Alois Trancy,_  
_You have been cordially invited to a masquerade ball at the Trancy estate. Masks and fancy dress is mandatory._ **

   
        Beneath that, it stated the date and time of the ball and was signed by the Earl Trancy with another smaller seal beside it. If this was anything like the costume ball he’d held while they were still playing their game, Ciel knew he must go to in order keep innocents from dying.  
  
        The letter crumbled, tearing slightly in Ciel’s grip as he read a message handwritten at the bottom of the letter.  
  


_**I do hope that you can join us, Earl Phantomhive, it’ll be a sheer delight to see you again.** _  
**_A. Trancy_ **

* * *

 


End file.
